Hi everyone Zig-Zagging Zedder Zab here reporting again from Team Omega at the back of the pack ie the Zed team with some thoughts on our twice daily call to action "Lets Go" and some reflections on what classics our daily jaunts and the whole B&B phenomenon are.
“Lets go” I have now heard those words twice a morning so many times that the association between that phrase and the B&B will probably last for ever. Many mornings I find myself singing the Cars classic “Lets Go” as I follow the throng surging forward from the point to Shelly and then, as I head over the dense vegetation out from Shelly, its McCartney & “Lets go, lets go, lets go, lets go – down to Juniors farm…” that’s playing in my head. Here George contemplates his strategy to beat the A team home from Shelly
Some of our younger swimmers will be rapping “Lets Go” with Travers Barker where its L’il John who sings the ‘hook’: (Hey, lets go x4) x4 or singing along to Calvin Harris with his more genteel and appropriate lyrics of “Lets go, make no excuses now, I’m talking here and now… its not about what you’ve done, its about what you’re doing, its all about where you’re going, no matter where you’ve been …”
These shots show how many of us there were in the 7am swim this morning - lots ! and the excitement as the Lets Go sounds and we hit the water in waves at Shelly for the homeward leg.
Here is the view from the back of the pack where the Zedders of Team Omega can be found.
“Lets go” – it’s a B&B classic just like “Have a go” is an Aussie value and “have a go you mug” an Aussie refrain that supports it.
This morning 290 swimmers came down to Manly to have a go and they found a cloudy day with a bit of swell, but luckily none of those nasty little blue mofos.
Some of our brave Zedders are shown here coming in with the waves. Doing the swim at a leisurely pace doesnt mean one doesn't have talent, check out that wave being caught. Greg is seen testing the limits of the definition of Pink Cap. Does a sunpinked bald head count as being in uniform?
For two dozen of us it was the first time they had a go at the crossing of Cabbage Tree Bay (CTB) with the B&B. Pink Caps off to you all! It was especially great to see Neri who was already a part of our B&B family (she is Jeff's wife) pull on a Pink Cap for the first time. Today was a bit of a hard one to start Neri so well done to you and all our Newbies - come back soon and congratulations.
Lyndall, pictured here with her daughter Zoe, was a pseudo-newbie today. Whilst one of our veterans she had her first swim today as a Manly local. Yep Lyndall loves the B&B so much that they upgraded their Mosman house for life in Manly just so she can be closer to all the Pink Capped action. I'm with you Lyndall. The B&B can become a way of life and its worth gettng amongst the thick of it all!!
John Bond’s thermom told us it was 21.2 degrees in the water off Manly this am.
Here he is dripping having just written it on the board at B&B Central because he had already done a Bolderdash before 6.30.
John Bod oops I mean Bond is a quintessential ie classic B&Ber. He is our numero uno man with the close to 2000 kms he has swum putting him at the top of the Pacific Challenge. Yep thats right TWO THOUSAND KILOMETRES !!!! He is on track to pass that incredible milestone before the end of the year. Woah - what an effort. Congratulations 007 from all of us.
He is also both considered & considerate and he leads by example. John, clearly a very strong swimmer, will get out at half way on the big swell days to stay with the mob and check that all are safe. He is also the OIC of the long summer swims ie the 10km swims and leads many of the 6km swims. The 6kms are on every Saturday in summer so start in a fortnights time (6 Dec) and the first 10km swim is scheduled for the following weekend ie the 13 Dec. John is looking for a few volunteers to play 'support crew' to the courageous swimmers who will do the 10km swim on the 13th. Contact John or make a comment below if you can help.
John also has a theory about our swim – it’s THE not ‘one of the’. Its the biggest and best says John. It’s the only ocean swim in the world that has happened every single day since it started and that’s 2,157 days, and has incorporated over 8300 swimmers with a total distance of over 254,000 kms swum by us all collectively – that’s more than 6.33 times around the planet earth!!. No matter what it is that the B&B is the record holder for one thing is for sure: it is, and probably always will be, a classic. Our friendly little morning dips deserve their place in the annals of time immemorial.
I for one am very grateful that the circumstances of my life are such that I could be at Manly beach this morning along with many others to take part in another gathering and outing for the pink-capped and magnificent Bold & Beautiful. One never knows how the winds of history may cause change. Imagine if there was an acute and severe oil price shock and all of us who drive couldn’t get to the swim or if something affected the oceans making it unsuitable for any of us to swim or zealots were in charge and forbade swimming. Then it will wistfully be – “remember the days when…..” or “do you know that back in the good old days…”
One title we can’t lay claim to is the first great ocean swim. No we are not the first oh no – there is a rich history to Ocean Swimming. Its not a young pastime, unlike Surfing which is widely accredited to have begun with Duke Ahunkahunkapunka from Hawaii about a century ago (ok – a bit of poetic licence there on Duke whatsy’s name, but does it really matter? This is a friendly blog not a uni essay with a bibliography)
Ocean swimming has reportedly taken place since ancient times. There is a classical Greek myth regarding Hero and her lover Leander, who would swim across the Hellespont between Asia and Europe daily to be with her. She would set out her lantern to guide his way until one night – tragedy struck. The Hellespont or Dardanelles is a strip of water off modern day Turkey. An area better known to Aussies as the location of Gallipolli which happened 100 years ago next year. Today it is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world but every year for just 2 hours on 30 August they close the shipping lane for an ocean swim. A few years ago a group of about a dozen of our own did this swim with both John Bond and the irrepressible Izzy claiming dais finishes.
Another notable who did that swim was the colourful and famous English poet Lord Byron who accomplished it in 1810 and is thought to be the first to cross it in modern times. Byron, who used to swim the canals of Venice on his way home from nights out, wrote a famous poem about his swim across the Hellespont and I offer you this stanza (*keeping in mind that May in the Northern hemisphere equals November ie now in Manly):
For me, degenerate modern wretch,
Though in the genial month of May*,
My dripping limbs I faintly stretch,
And think I’ve done a feat today.
Like Leander & Byron people will do big gestures and undertakings for love. Of course there is lots of love in the B&B and both men and women take to ocean swimming and cross treacherous passages like Cabbage Tree Bay and Scotty’s Passage to impress their lovers, or others or just for themselves.
Speaking of classics… what is it that makes something a classic? Dr Google says a classic is: something which is “ judged over a period of time to be of the highest quality and outstanding of its kind” So Yep I am sure the B&B swim counts as a classic. In the B&B tradition here are a few of our classics. They need no introduction and are widely appreciated but I chose to give them some more acknowledgement today.
Ian gives generously of his time to help make the B&B run smoothly. Nearly every morning he leaves his home in Northbridge before dawn to travel down to B&B Central arriving by 6 am most days. He welcomes all the newbies taking pics, most of which prove to be quite flattering. As well as keeping a well-oiled admin machine running he is our brains trust. Want to know who someone is or how to find them in the mob or make contact? – Ian is your go to man. As we saw earlier in the year he is a dab hand as a TV star as well, proving himself to be calm, cool, confident and eloquent in front of the camera. Ian, don’t think that all that you do goes unnoticed or unappreciated. On the contrary. Despite your quiet demeanour and unobtrusive presence you are the glue that holds us together and we know it. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Of course behind every great man…. Thank you Pauline for doing without Ian’s time for hours every day as he demonstrates his devotion to the B&B and is such an integral part of making all run smoothly.
You’d never guess who Ian’s next door neighbour is.
Thats right - our very own JK. Not just partners in crime or neighbours but also part of management together. This is JK senior. So named because our original JK, Jenny, is younger. Original JK? Well actually she is THE original Pink Capper. She is swimmer zero! Because all this is born from Jenny’s request to Julie to swim back in the summer of 2008.
Back to JK senior, he seems to have a terrible affliction with the forefingers of both his hands, it appears they don’t bend. I am not sure what caused it…. An old war wound, sporting injury, arthritis, congenital condition?
Have you noticed this badge on JK’s Pink Caps hoodie? Huh? Whats that about.
Well it turns out that the morning the whale came and swam with the B&B our JK had a hangover and didn’t swim! Oh dear, hence the badge. Sorry my photography doesn't do the story merit - its a beer company's logo! Its never worth missing a B&B swim! JK Snr is our Sar-major. His booming voice is something to behold. Where would we be without him giving us the 7 o’clock call or commanding us forth with a reverberating “Lets Go” twice a day? We would be a dramatically more bedraggled rabble, that’s for sure. What a set of pipes JK! thanks for keeping us in line and going! and hey, peace man!!
One of the classic aspects of the B&B blog is the irrational and overwhelming urge of some Pink Cappers to throw themselves in to any photograph they see or sense being taken. Done well this is achieved by a last minute photo bomb. The best of these being those that look as if they belong in it or completely dont eg with a winsome face etc. Sometimes it’s a flagrant bursting in to the frame to capture the picture and make it all about yourself. Some classic blog tart efforts here all in one pic:
Say g'day to Mark. He so nearly executed the most impressive photobomb last Saturday. He jumped up so high behind the A team disco-ing and with a pink-striped shirt on! and though I had the camera on multi-exposures the many pics I captured didnt show him. Must have hit his apex in between frames. Oh well you and I, and now everyone else, knows you have a real talent and might give some of our regular photobombers some stiff competition in the future.
So who is that beautiful blonde in the backround? Why its Henrietta talking to Jim and also on our right is Eva -todays Bond girl in her Bond-girl wetsuit. Eva is from the classical Prague - it was obvious she had style. Today she brought a friend Sean down as a newbie. What better way to start the day she says. Sean isnt so sure yet as he contemplates his first Pink Capped adventure. How do you like her classic Bond pose? Superb. Its her birthday next Sunday so come down to the Manly Skiff Club from 4.00pm ( Sun 30 Nov) to wish her a Happy Aussie Birthday!
Lainey who? Lainey Loo! Elaine ie Lainey Loo whilst being a B&B classic is truly one of a kind. They most definitely lost the mould after the creation of Lainey Loo! How can such a slight body hold such an enormous heart & generate so much energy? As well as an accomplished underwater photographer, Lainey Loo, with her bubbling personality and unstoppable sense of fun, is the hub of the Pink Capped social network. When I was a solo newbie first coming down alone it was Lainey who reached out and checked how I was, invited me for coffee, encouraged me to mingle etc.
She wasn’t alone. Others such as Ian, LSA, Izzy, Jane, Ian & Gayle, Dreamboat, The Gun, The Chuckle Meister, Tayls, musical Greg,DWSS & Veena and more also made me feel welcome. Thank you all. I am so glad you encouraged me so that I connected with the B&B more fully rather than just coming down, swimming and leaving. It has introduced me to what I find is an exceptional group of truly fabulous folk. Fun-loving, friendly and at times frenetic – the unstoppable force that is the fantastic B&B.
Don’t want to, or unable to join in the more connected fun – absolutely fine. However if you want to - then come over to the benches and connect or say hello to Gayle, the Ians, JK or one of the other numerous Johns, Lainey, Izzy, Storchy, Drinkie or Jane or go to Bluewater, Havana, Manly Wine or Bench after your swim. You will soon get to know ‘the gang’ and you will be pleased you made the effort. Take it from me - usually a very shy person and so glad I did.
Here are some classic moments and sights from today's B&B adventure. Richard, widely beloved of many, is beaming because he earned his 1000km badge today. He said it took 20 days consecutive swimming to get there, though I was told with all the doubles and Bolderdashes he has done he has actually clocked up far further than that. Richard Congratulations on your achievement and thanks for the celebratory muffins!
Here is our dear mate Panda, a member of the Zen Zedders family. The other day when down at B&B Central Panda was the unsuspecting victim of a Cowards Bite that took out part of his ear (see the missing chunk and residual blood in the first frame). Ouch!!! Poor Panda. Vet Jane inspected the damage. Get well soon Panda!
Sean (aka DWSS) had something to propose to Rosie. "What do you think Mum?" Rosie asked Lee
Apparently poor little Nicky-wicky was feeling an itty-bit sick so hasn't been in the swim of things for a couple of days but he gets no sympathy because the story going around the benches was that it wasn't even Man flu - just a Man-cold. Richard tells him to Man Up or he won't ever reach his 1,000 km badge like Richard and Ted agrees. In the background, in a truly bizarre candid shot, it appears that Julia is actually interested in something the Spaniard is saying. Could this possibly be true? Does the camera never lie? - its seems a very perplexing possibility.
Hip, hip, hooray for Hooray Half-way Henry because today he is celebrating his 60th birthday. Here he is seen coming back to shore in some pics that show how big the swell was.
and in the second image we see him and also an image of him being treated to the classic B&B birthday treatment. Fist we sing you a song and then we splash you with water
Henry says his lovely wife of four decades is throwing him a big bash tonight which he is looking forward to. He thinks his day started in the perfect way. Henry and I met when I first joined the B&B six months ago. We met at a swimming lesson after the swim one Sunday where the teacher told him "Hmmm, theres a lot going on there". Both of us were, to put it politely, swimmers with 'room for improvement'. Henry earned his moniker 'half-way' because, you guessed it, for months he only swam to and from half-way. Along the way each of us has celebrated the small milestones we have achieved and today were both very proud of how far we have come - both doing the crossing to and from Shelly without rests or terror despite the challenge of the swell. "Its because we stayed in the game", opined Henry as he came out of the water this morning. "Even though we weren't strong we stayed with it and kept at it", he said. "We were plucky but lucky to have swum all winter because the group was small and so many helped us with tips" he said. "What a great group" Henry added "where the strong swimmers want to see the newbies or weaker swimmers improve and want us to be successful, happy and having fun". I agree Henry, I agree ! Hip hip Hooray and Happy Birthday to you because, like so many in the B&B. You are a Jolly Good Fellow!
Finally I will leave you with some more words from the flamboyant, eloquent and adventurous Lord Byron - ocean swimmer extraodinaire. Sounds like he feels the same way about his swim across the Hellespont as I do about my regular traverses of CTB.
“I plume myself on this achievement more than I could possibly do on any kind of glory, poetical, political or rhetorical.”
Lord Byron: 1810, after successfully crossing the Hellespont
Signing off from another classic swim when I was glad I was here to hear the Lets Go, ZZZZab [6/8]
PS Being an atrocious photographer I'd like to acknowledge that some pics in this blog come from former blogs and therefore to say Thank You to those bloggers and their respective photographers if applicable.
PS2 - Wait - there's more. If you want the full experience make sure you open the blog on your browser not just phone so that you can see all the comments many of which are witty, some of which are silly and others are truly hilarious. The B&B isn't just a swim its fun that just keeps on giving and giving!
STATS
290 Swimmers of which 24 were first timers
Temp 21.4 degrees
1000km badge to Richard and Happy Birthday to Henry
Bottom of the blog:
The B & B Christmas Party is on Tuesday 9th December at 6.30 pm in the Moonshine Bar (2nd Floor) at the Steyne Hotel. All swimmers and partners/friends are welcome. The theme this year is simply "Christmas". So come dressed in your finest Christmas paraphernalia. There is no need to be shy, as we will have the whole bar to ourselves. The Steyne will provide finger food and pizza, with drinks at bar prices. Lots of fun and dancing guaranteed, with music by our own band "The Troubadors", who have generously agreed to perform free of charge for us on the night. The cost is $10 per head, with all proceeds going to the running costs of the B&B. Our charity partner, the Royal Far West Children’s Home, will also be running a monster raffle on the night, so please come prepared to support them. Bookings are essential. Book HERE now! Don’t miss this fun event, numbers are limited.
B&B 2015 Calendar available now for just $15
On sale NOW!!
The B&B Calendar is the perfect item for the ‘hard to buy for’ person in your life. You can pick one up at the swim from Ian (cash only), or online - Click here - with an option to have it posted or collected from Ian.
Summer Swims
It is that time again! 007, or Mr November 2015, has announced the proposed date for the first summer 10K swim challenge is Saturday 13 December 2014. Watch this space for updates.
Staying safe
Remember that there are no badges for scaring yourself silly! While it is great to extend your boundaries, it is important to know your limits. Do read these excellent tips on staying safe in the surf. To read, or even download, click here.
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